Wayne Rooney says FIFA 'should be ashamed' as USA World Cup twist triggers furious response

Wayne Rooney has accused FIFA of bringing the World Cup into disrepute after the governing body made the extraordinary decision to suspend Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match ban just hours before the United States' clash with Belgium.

The former England captain did not hold back during the BBC's live coverage, branding the decision "an absolute disgrace" and insisting FIFA president Gianni Infantino "should be ashamed" following a dramatic twist that has left Belgium furious.

Balogun, the USA's leading scorer at the tournament with three goals, had been expected to sit out the last-16 meeting in Seattle after being shown a red card during his side's victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina in the previous round.

However, in a surprise announcement on Sunday evening, FIFA revealed the Arsenal academy graduate's one-match suspension had instead been deferred for 12 months, allowing him to feature against Belgium.

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No explanation accompanied the announcement, while reports suggested the United States had not even lodged an appeal against the dismissal.

The decision prompted an angry response from the Royal Belgian Football Association, while US President Donald Trump celebrated the outcome on social media by writing: "Thank you to Fifa for doing what was right, and reversing a great injustice! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

Some reports have also claimed Trump personally contacted Infantino and requested the incident be reviewed.

The controversy dominated discussion on the BBC after the scheduled kick-off between Mexico and England was delayed because of severe weather, leaving the pundits with additional airtime.

After presenter Kelly Cates outlined the situation, Rooney launched into a scathing criticism of FIFA's handling of the case.

"I think it's an absolute disgrace, I really do," he said.

"I know it's UEFA but I got a three-game ban before Euro 2012. I was due to miss the three group games and I got told if I went over to Switzerland and did a training session with a bunch of kids, my third game would get taken off. I agreed to do it because I didn't want a three-game ban but I thought that was wrong.

"For this to be suspended, they either take the red card away which is probably the right decision and then he can play.

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"But to suspend it for a year? I think it's an absolute disgrace. Infantino should be ashamed of this.

"The sportsmanship of this game is in question here. If I'm USA's opponent, I'd be absolutely fuming.

"It's wrong in every way. If you're an England player tonight or a Mexican player, and you get a red card, do you expect to be playing the next game? Where does it stop?"

Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards echoed Rooney's frustration, although he argued the original dismissal should never have stood.

"It's an absolute farce isn't it?" he said.

"It wasn't a red card. Balogun was trying to protect the ball and he went down, it happens, football is a contact sport.

"To suspend it for a year makes a mockery of the whole tournament.

"Like you said, if that happens again tonight, they'll say 'you did it for one...' All this is to keep the big stars in the competition. America are one of the co-hosts. We all know what it is. FIFA need to do better."

Cates responded by saying: "We don't know what it is."

Rooney then added: "It might even affect him not missing a World Cup qualifier, so it's not going to affect anything to do with the World Cup.

"It's been brushed away so it's not going to have anything to do with the World Cup."

Richards concluded: "We've got to be honest about the situation.

"It's left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths.

"When the integrity comes into question for such a big tournament, for that to happen, it's just not good enough."

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